In order to solve the problem of high energy consumption for regeneration of desiccant wheel in the rotary desiccant system, high temperature heat pump and desiccant wheel (HTHP&DW) system and corresponding air conditioning unit is built and tested in the extensive thermal hygrometric environment. When the mixture refrigerant BY-3 is involved in the air source heat pump, the supply air temperatures are in the range as expected except that when in the extreme hot environment (above 36 C), dehumidification capability are satisfied and the regeneration temperatures can satisfy the regeneration requirement of desiccant without additional heat. It is also found that outdoor air temperature, humidity ratio and regeneration air flow rate have great impact on the performance of heat pump based on the coefficient of performance (COP) evaluated. COP is not quite high, as the maximum value is 2.26 for heat pump and 2.08 for whole system respectively. Hence several suggestions are made for optimizing the system which is also helpful for facilitating the development of mature product. As a conclusion, HTHP&DW system could be a potential alternative with effective operation which can be promoted in most areas of China based on the result of our experiment. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.